Marlborough hosts paralympic ice sledge hockey world championships

Matt Lynch

Friday

Mar 28, 2008 at 12:01 AMMar 28, 2008 at 5:10 AM

It is without a doubt one of the most heated international rivalries in sports, and over the coming week it will play out in Marlborough's backyard. The 2008 International Paralympic Committee Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships are scheduled to begin tomorrow at the New England Sports Center.

It is without a doubt one of the most heated international rivalries in sports, and over the coming week it will play out in Marlborough's backyard.

The 2008 International Paralympic Committee Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships are scheduled to begin tomorrow at the New England Sports Center.

Included in the field will be the U.S., which won the first-ever sledge hockey paralympic gold medal in 2002 in Salt Lake City, and Canada, which won the gold in 2006 in Torino, Italy.

"New England hockey enthusiasts owe themselves a favor to come and watch the games," said first-year U.S. head coach Ray Maluta, a former Bruins defenseman in the '70s. "I think people will be amazed at the aggressiveness of the game and surprised at the speed of the game."

The games, the first Olympic or paralympic events in the city's history, are scheduled to begin tomorrow at 9 a.m. when Korea takes on the Czech Republic. The American team's first game is scheduled for 7 p.m. tomorrow and admission is free.

Sledge hockey, which is also called sled hockey in the United States, is a version of hockey for people who have suffered leg or spinal injuries and cannot skate standing up.

Players propel themselves across the ice by pushing off using spikes on two small hockey sticks, one held in each hand. The sport debuted at the Paralympics in 1998 and became an official medal event in 2002.

The 10-team round robin tournament is expected to bring more than 300 competitors and officials to the Marlborough rink for the next week. The tournament ends with medal games on Saturday, April 5.

"We expect nothing less than the gold," said Chris Manns, a 27-year-old defenseman for the United States. "Canada is our biggest rival. They won the gold in Torino and they're the top team coming in."

Manns, a Buffalo, N.Y., native who lost his legs in a train accident in 1991, said the speed of the game is easily the most surprising part of sledge hockey.

"(The first time he played sledge hockey), I thought I was going real fast, but compared to this level it was really slow," said Manns.

Although the game has been played for at least 20 years, officials said sledge hockey is just starting to become popular with players and fans.

"Being a paralympic sport in 2002 really helped out the growth of the sport and put it on the map," said Dan Brennan, the U.S. team manager.

The championships are being hosted in Marlborough by the International Paralympic Committee and Massachusetts Hockey.